Students Get Down and Dirty at Heavy Equipment School

By Tim Wohlers



The North Country Heavy Equipment School, owned by Jake King, now finds itself in the 18th full year of operation.  The school opened its doors in 1998 in Escanaba, MI, where one can still find it today.  The institution teaches students how to operate heavy machinery safely.  These skills prove highly valuable in the world of manual labor.  And the owner agrees. 
“If a guy wants to go out and get his hands dirty, he’s going to make damn good money,” King asserts.  “But you don’t learn how to use equipment by reading a book.  You get it by being hands-on.” 
Ho-Chunk Nation’s Department of Labor first heard about the Heavy Equipment School when it was brought to attention by tribal member Mitch Redcloud.  Upon learning about the institution, he informed the labor department of the opportunity.  After spreading the word, Redcloud later earned his certificate for completing the course in April.  Four more Ho-Chunk tribal members – Vilas WhiteEagle, Danny Youngthunder, Robin McKee, and Warrington Greengrass – will be attending the school later this year.  They represent the first full class of tribal members in attendance at the facility. 
Upon request by the state of Michigan, Heavy Equipment School was established in the late 90s by Gene Draze.  The seasoned veteran possesses more than 40 years of experience operating such heavy equipment.  As the owner of Draze Excavating, he accumulated a great wealth of knowledge in the field and in the office.  Having imparted this knowledge on many an eager mind, Draze ultimately sold the business last year.  Now, the company finds itself under the safe ownership of lifer Jake King.  After getting hired by a company in the field directly out of high school, King has spent his entire life working with heavy equipment. 
“I’ve been in the field since 2002, running equipment,” King divulges.  “I got my diploma on a Friday.  And the very next Monday, I was at work.” 
King considers himself fortunate for choosing the correct career path.  For he believes that, with a college degree, he would only be making equal or lesser pay than he makes now.  Because of that belief, King favors the empowerment of others through experiential learning over teaching from a textbook.  He feels that one’s potential relates more closely to his or her level of motivation, instead of his or her level of education.  In other words, where there’s a will, there’s a way. 
“As a whole, it gives people an alternative route from a four-year school,” King explains.  “For those who aren’t attending a university, Heavy Equipment School gives them a chance of getting into a field where they never thought they had a chance.” 
To provide the best opportunity, the school utilizes field instruction as its main teaching method.  The practice gives students real-world experience using common pieces of heavy equipment – like excavators, backhoes, bulldozers, front-end loaders, graders, dump trucks, and motorized compactors.   In fact, about 95 percent of the teaching takes place in the field.  This structure allows the students to put theory into practice before assuming great liability with an employer.  King finds that important. 
“Nobody wants to put you in their quarter-of-a-million-dollar piece of equipment without knowing what you’re doing,” King points out.  “A guy can do a lot of damage really quickly if he doesn’t know what he’s doing.” 
With that understanding, the instructors at North Country Heavy Equipment School do what they do best.  They teach real-life skills in real-life scenarios.  And the school’s attendance proves that the institution goes about business in the right way.  According to King, Wisconsin agencies often send their clients to his school in Michigan before sending them to a school in-state.  That fact alone speaks to the impressive reputation built by King and his Heavy Equipment School. 


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